Pavement finishing machine



Dec. 6, 1960 J. A. ODEA PAVEMENT FINISHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1958 m mm D md A N w J FIG. 6

BY COREETT, MAHONEY, MILLER & RAMBO ATTY'S.

United States PatetItO PAVEMENT FINISHING MACHINE John A. ODea, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Iaeger Machine Company, Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 772,335

4 Claims. 01. 94-45 ing concrete pavements, but it is to be understood that .1 1

it is not limited thereto and can be used for finishing pavements of other materials.

vMost pavement finishing machines of this general type now commonly in use include a reciprocable screed member which imparts a final finish to the spread and leveled material. Some of these finishing machines have included frame structures which are laterally extensible in order that the machine can operate in producing pavement of varying widths where constant widening and narrowing of the machine is required. The screed itself is usually not extensible and contractible in accordance with the variation in Widths of pavement produced, but is ordinarily provided with adjustable end shoes which serve to prevent the surplus material, accumulating in front of the screed, as the finisher advances, from feeding outwardly toward the end of the screed'beyond the forms. However, frequent adjustment of these shoes is necessary, in accordance with the variation in widths of the pavement as determined by the setting of the side forms.

It is the main object of my invention to provide a finishing machine of the type indicated having a laterally expansible and contractible frame -to cooperate with the varying spacing of the supporting side forms so as to produce pavements of varying widths, the machine having a screed member carried thereby for finishing the pavement material and means being provided on the frame and in association with the screed and side forms for preventing the material accumulating in front of the screed, from feeding outwardly toward the ends of the screed beyond the side forms.

" Another object of my invention is to provide a finishing machine of the type indicated which is provided 'with a simple and inexpensive yet effective material limiting baffle structure carried by the frame in association with the screed and side forms which will prevent outward feeding .of material toward the ends of the screed beyond the side forms.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a bafiie structure of the type indicated which is carried by the adjustable frame structure of the machine in association with the screed and side forms so that when the frame structure is adjusted in accordance with widening or narrowing of the pavement to be produced, the baffie structure is automatically adjusted relative to the screed while still being maintained in proper cooperative relationship with the screed and the side forms. Another object of this invention is to provide a bafiie structure of the type indicated; carried by the frame or the machine and supported in association with the screed and side forms in such a manner as not to interfere with Patented Dec. 6, 1960 2 the necessary reciprocation of the screed or any necessary vertical movement of the screed relative to the frame.

Various other objects will be apparent from the drawings, the following description and the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention but it is to be understood that specific details thereof may be varied without departing from basic principles.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a finishing machine in which my invention is embodied.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the machine of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail in side elevation showing the bafile structure in cooperative relationship with the front screed of the machine.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the machine showing the baffle structure in association with the front and rear screeds thereof. Figure 5 is a detail in perspective illustrating how the baffle structure functions to prevent outward feeding of the material along the screed beyond the associated side form.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the bafiie structure moves with the frame when it is adjusted relative to the screed.

With reference to the drawings, I have illustrated my invention applied to a finishing machine which comprises a frame unit 10 carried by traction wheels 11 which operate along supporting side forms 12. These side forms 12 are set in the usual manner to form the edge of the pavement from material, such as concrete, deposited therebetween. In order to compensate for variations in the spacing of the side forms 12, which is necessary to provide varying widths of pavement such as on curves or bridge approaches, the frame 10 is expansible and contractible laterally. The frame may be constructed in various Ways and since the particular construction of the adjustable frame does not form part of this invention, it will not be shown and described in detail. However, the frame is shown as comprising a central section 22 and side sections 13 which telescope therewith so that the frame can be extended or contracted laterally. This extension and contraction may be accomplished by means of hydraulic ram-s 14, or in any other suitable manner, the rams being connected between the frame sections 12 and 13.

The frame 10 may carry one or more screeds for finishing the material and in the example shown, a front screed 15 and a rear screed 16 are provided. Each of these screeds is mounted in practically the same manner for reciprocation relative to the frame. Furthermore, each screed may be supported from the frame for transportation or may be allowed to rest on the side forms in the finishing operation. In the description, I will refer mainly to the front screed 15 but it is to be understood that the description refers equally as well to the rear screed 16. Furthermore, as indicated above, the machine may carry a single screed or any number of screeds and my invention is equally applicable to any of 'the screeds.

During operation of the machine, the screed 15 will rest on the side forms 12, as indicated best in Figures 2 and 3. Its rear side will be engaged by thrust bearing structures 17 which are carried by the sections 13 of the frame, these bearing structures including rollers 18 which operate in guide brackets 19 at the rear side of the screed, adjacent each end thereof, to permit reciprocation of the screed as its rests on the side forms and still support it against the thrust of material at the forward side thereof.

The screed is reciprocated by any suitable mechanism such as the crank and pitman structure 20 illustrated in Figure l. The screed may be elevated, so that it is sus pended completely from the frame, byadjustable hanger brackets 21 carried by the center section 22 of the frame, or it may be lowered to rest on the side forms 12 as indicated. The details of the mechanism so far described do not form a part of this invention and are illustrated in the copending application of Apel et al., Serial No. 673,- 943, filed July 24, 1957.

According to this invention, a hafile structure is associated with each side of the machine frame in front of the adjacent screed. Thus, in Figure 1 I have illustrated the baffie structures generally by the numeral 25. Each of these bafile structures 25 is carried by the outer side of one of the adjustable side frame sections 13 in front of the adjacent end of the screed or 16 associated therewith. Each of these baflle structures will adjust with the frame section 13 since it is carried thereby. As previously indicated, the baffle structures will serve to limit spreading of material along the associated screed members beyond the side forms 12 with which they will also cooperate.

Each of the battle structures 25, as shown best in Figures 3 and 4, comprises a rigid bracket or plate 26 which is vertically disposed at the outer side of the associated frame section 13. The upper end of each bracket 26 is connected to the associated frame section 13 by bolt and slot connections 27 so that it can be adjusted to a limited extent vertically relative thereto and when adjusted, can be firmly clamped in position. The lower end of the bracket 26 carries a horizontally extending wiper blade 28 which is preferably formed of flexible non-metallic material, such as rubber. This wiper blade 28 is mounted at the lower end of the bracket 26 by means of the bolt and slot connections 29 which permit vertical adjustment of the wiper blade on the bracket. This wiper blade 28 is adapted to extend below the lower end of the bracket 26 and below the upper edge of the associated side form 12 and to wipe along the inner surface thereof. Similarly, the rear edge of the plate 26 adjacent its lower end is provided with a vertically extending wiper blade 30 which extends rearwardly beyond the rear edge of the member 26. This wiper blade 30 preferably is formed of the same material as the blade 28 and is attached to the bracket 26, adjacent its rear edge, by means of bolt and slot connections 31 so that it may be adjusted horizontally relative to the bracket 26. The rear edge of this wiper blade 30 is adapted to wipe against the front surface or face of the screed 15 which is a fiat vertically disposed surface extending the full length of the screed in the usual manner.

In the operation of'the finishing machine, as it moves along the side forms 12, the Wiper blades 28 adjacent each form will wipe along the inner surface of the cooperating form. The screed will usually be reciprocating and the wiper blades 30 will wipe along the front surface or face of the associated screed. Thus, material piling up in front of the screed will not feed laterally toward the ends of the screed beyond the side forms 12, as indicated in Figure 5. It will be understood that the adjustable side frame sections 13 will be so extended that the wiper blades 28 carried by the brackets 26 will be located just Within the forms 12 and in contact therewith. Any adjustment of the frame sections 13, in accordance with variations in spacing of the side forms 12, as indicated in Figure 6, will be permitted without interfering with the bafiie structures, since during this adjustment, the wiper blades 30 will merely wipe along the front surface of the screed. Also, reciprocation of the screed will be permitted and any necessary vertical movement of the screed relative to the frame will be permitted,

4 for example when the screed is to be raised by the hangers 21 for transportation.

It will be apparent from 'the above that I have provided a baffle structure, embodying a baffle member extending forwardly thereof substantially at right angles to the vertical face thereof, which limits spreading of the material laterally ahead of the screed beyond the associated side forms. Although the bafile structure is particularly useful in connection with a frame which is expansible and contractible, it is not necessarily limited thereto. It is particularly useful where the battle and screed must move relatively, either in adjustments or actual operation. The baffie structure will elfectively prevent bleeding of material beyond it along the screed and beyond the associated side form. The baffle structure is equally applicable to strike-off plates or other strike-off or surfacing members and I intend to include such members by the term screed.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a supporting frame, means for mounting said frame for movement along laterally spaced side forms having therebetween material to be finished, said frame comprising inner and outer sections connected together for lateral expansion and contraction, means connected to said frame sections for adjusting them relatively in accordance with variations in the spacing of said side forms, a screed of fixed length carried by the frame and adapted to extend over the side forms in cooperation therewith for engaging the surface of said material, said screed including a vertically disposed material-engaging face against which surplus material may accumulate, and a baffle member carried by the outer section of the frame for adjustment therewith for preventing feed' of surplus material along said screed face beyond the side form at that side of the frame, said bathe member being vertically disposed and extending outwardly from said screed face at any angle to said screed face and having an inner edge in contact with the screed face, said bafile member having a lower edge adapted to extend downwardly intocooperation with said side form.

2. Structureaccording to claim 1 in which the frame inner section is a center section and outer side sections are connected to the opposite sides thereof for relative lateral movement, oneof said bafile members being carriedby each of the outer side sections for lateral adjustment therewith.

3. Structureaccording-to claim 2 in which each bafile member iscarried by a support bracket attached to the cooperating outer side frame section, said baflie member having a Wiper blade of flexible material at each of its lower and inner edges for engaging the associated form and screed face respectively.

4. Structure according to claim 3 in which the baffle support bracket is adjustably attached to the outer side frame section and each of the wiper blades is adjustably attached to the bracket member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,257 Valerio Mar. 13, 1928 1,970,391 Nickerson Aug. 14, 1934 2,076,890 Heltzel Apr. 13, 1937 2,187,080 Heltzel Jan. 16, 1940 2,251,095 Wood July 29, 1941 

